A Panamanian oil tanker was attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, off Balhaf, Yemen, on Saturday, April 15th, but was rescued by Chinese Naval Forces.
In particular, a motor skiff with 5 armed men on board approached the “Alheera” vessel and tried to hijack it, by sending shots several times. The crew sent a distress signal, which was eventually received by Chinese naval forces.
The frigate “Hengyang”, which was guarding vessels sailing in the area , received the signal about the attack and reached to the scene along with an escort helicopter, making the pirates to flee away.
All the crew members are reported to be unharmed and in good health. Additionally, there is not any damage in the vessel. An investigation on the causes of the incident is underway by the local authorities.
